SeaWaves Today in History December 2, 2008 1775 - US Congress orders first officer commissions printed 1804 - Napoleon was crowned emperor of France 1825 - During the First Burmese War, Brigadier-General Sir Archibald Campbell attacked a large concentration of Burmese forces under Maha Nemyo at Pagoda Point near Prome on the Irrawaddy. Maha Nemyo was killed, and some 300 warboats captured. The Burmese retreated to their fortifications at Malun 1841 - The Anichkov Bridge was opened in St. Petersburg after reconstruction, decorated with horse groups made by the sculptor PK Klodt. Anichkov Bridge was the first bridge across the Fontanka River, and combines a simple form with some spectacular decorations. As well as its four famous horse sculptures, it has some of the most celebrated ornate iron railings in St. Petersburg. The first bridge was built in 1715-1716 by order of Peter the Great, and named after its engineer, M. Anichkov. The bridge was made of wood with several spans built on piles of supports lying just above the Fontanka River. Nothing remains of this first bridge. As the city grew and river traffic increased, plans were unveiled in 1721 to create a new drawbridge. Anichkov Bridge was one of seven three-span stone drawbridges with towers built across the Fontanka River in the late 18th century, of which Lomonosov and Stary Kalinkin Bridges are the only two other bridges from that period which still survive. The bridge was an especially popular attraction on Nevsky Prospekt in this period, as well as a popular subject for illustrations and paintings. But by the 1840's this design, especially its large towers, was already deemed unsuitable for the growing amount of traffic passing over Anichkov Bridge along Nevsky Prospekt. In 1841-1842 yet another bridge, which corresponded more with the width of Nevsky Prospekt and the design of the current bridge, was built on the site under the leadership of Lt. General Gotman. The new bridge was made of stone, and had three spans closed off with gently sloping arches. This simple, concise form corresponded well with the massive cast-iron fencing bordering Anichkov Bridge and stylish castings designed by German architect K. Shinkel. However, the bridge's stone arches were a continual source of problems, and in 1906-1908 the bridge had once again to be reconstructed and its arches reinforced. The most impressive aspect of Anichkov Bridge is the group of four sculptures that embellish it. The sculptures, entitled "The Horse Tamer", were executed by Pyotr Klodt (who also produced the sculpture of Nicholas I on St. Isaac's Square) and are one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. They have an interesting history. Nicholas I gave two of them to Prussian King Fredrick William IV in 1842, and another two were sent to Italy as a sign of gratitude for the hospitality shown to the Tsar during his trip there in 1846. During the Second World War, the sculptures were taken down from their platforms and sheltered from German artillery in the Pioneer Palace garden. The bridge suffered serious damage during the war, but has been fully restored 1883 - The schooner Champion with a crew of two men stranded on Dick's Flat, Plymouth Harbor, near Duxbury Pier lighthouse, at about 6 am. The shoal where she struck was about three miles west-SW of the Gurnet Point Station (Second District), and the crew of the station were not sure she was aground until about 10 o'clock. The life-saving crew therefore arrived on board a little before 2 o'clock in the afternoon. They found one of the men, the captain, at the pumps and the other bailing from the hatch. The vessel was leaking badly. The two men on board were wet, cold, and very glad of the assistance of the life-saving crew. The keeper, at the captain's request, took charge. The pumps were manned while another gang went to work bailing. When she began to right with the incoming tide, they shifted the booms over and canted her the other way, so as to bring the leaky seams out of the water to chinse them with oakum and nail canvas over all to stop the leaks. After doing this and getting most of the water out, they carried out an anchor into the channel, set all sail and by heaving hard on the hawser, they brought her on an even keel. She was hauled off the shoal at about 4 o'clock and got safely under way. As the weather looked bad, the captain concluded to remain in port for the night and accordingly anchored 1908 - Rear Admiral William S. Cowles submits report, prepared by LT George C. Sweet, recommending purchase of aircraft suitable for operating from naval ships on scouting and observation mission to Secretary of the Navy 1915 - Submarine HMS E37 launched 1916 - Submarine USS O-3 laid down 1917 - Aircraft carrier HMS Argus launched 1917 - Destroyer HMS Watchman launched 1918 - Minesweeper HMS Selkirk launched 1919 - Submarine USS S-11 laid down 1935 - Submarine USS Pike commissioned 1936 - Destroyer USS Sterett laid down 1937 - Submarine HMS Cachalot launched 1939 - German liner Watussi is scuttled by her crew after she is spotted by a Junkers-86 of 15 Squadron of the SAAF which directs the cruiser HMS Sussex to intercept. Watussi had been acting as a supply ship for German surface raiders 1939 - Submarines HMS Cachalot & Seal departed Halifax as convoy escorts 1939 - Submarine HMS Undaunted laid down 1940 - The armed merchant cruiser HMS Forfar was torpedoed and sunk in the North Atlantic in position 54.35N, 018.18W, by U-99, Kptlt. Kretschmer, Knight’s Cross, Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves, Knight’s Cross with Swords, CO. There were 185 casualties in this incident. Forfar was the former Canadian National Steamships cargo-liner SS Montrose (16,402 GRT). She was requisitioned into the Royal Navy as an armed merchant cruiser renamed HMS Forfar. She had been detached from convoy HX-90 was on route to join convoy OB-251 when she was hit by five torpedoes from U-99. Due to the intense convoy battle underway and the stormy weather rescue operations were delayed, leading to the high casualty toll. U-99 was a Type VIIB U-boat built by Germaniawerft, at Kiel. She was commissioned on 18 Apr 40. U-99 conducted eight patrols and compiled a record of 39 ships sunk for a total of 246,794 tons and six ships damaged for a total of 47,119 tons. The redoubtable Otto Kretschmer commanded U-99 for her entire career. U-99 was scuttled at 0343hrs on 17 Mar 41 SE of Iceland, in approximate position 61.00N, 012.00W, after being damaged by depth charges from by the destroyer HMS Walker. There were 40 survivors from U-99’s crew of 43 men, including Kptlt. Kretschmer. Otto Kretschmer was born in 1912, at Heidau, in Liegnitz. He joined the navy in 1930 and first served on the light cruiser Köln until Jan 36 when he transferred to the U-boat force. He was one of only a few commanders to receive a comprehensive pre-war training as a U-boat officer. His first command was the medium-range Type VIIA submarine U-35, in which he participated in the Spanish Civil War. In Sep 37 he took command of the short-range Type II submarine U-23, at the age of 25. At the very start of the war he scored his first kills in her off the East Coast of England and Scotland. In Nov 39, he laid nine mines in Moray Firth, Scotland, one of which sank the large Danish tanker Danmark (10,517 GRT) on 12 Jan 40. He left U-23 in Apr 40 and commissioned the medium-range Type VIIB submarine U-99. His first patrol was in Jun 40. Kretschmer became famous for his night surface attacks against convoys, and his motto "One torpedo ... one ship". Among his kills were three British armed merchant cruisers - Laurentic, Patroclus & Forfar. The extremely calm and efficient ‘Silent Otto’ soon became the tonnage king among U-boat men, never to be dethroned. In total, he sank 47 ships for a total of 274,333 tons and damaged six ships for a further 47,119 tons. He was captured after scuttling U-99 on 17 Mar 41 SE of Iceland. U-99 had sunk six ships from convoy HX-112 during the night of 16-17 Mar and was repositioning for further attacks when a destroyer intercepted her on the surface. Kretschmer always blamed himself for the loss of U-99 but, in fact, it was his inexperienced Watch Officer that ordered the boat to dive when she was sighted on the surface. Kretschmer was famous for his ability to evade escorts on the surface using the U-boat’s speed and superior maneuverability and would likely have done so again had he been on the bridge. Kretschmer spent more than six and a half years in captivity, four in Canada at Camp 30 (often referred to as Camp Bowmanville), from where he was able to maintain contact with BdU. He returned to Germany in Dec 47. Otto Kretschmer joined the Bundesmarine in 1955 and in 1957 became the commander of the 1st Geleitgeschwader (1st Escort Squadron). In Nov 58, he became commander of the Amphibische Streitkräfte (Amphibious Forces). In 1965 he served as the Chief of Staff of the NATO Command COMNAVBALTAP, a position he held for four years. He retired in Sep 70 in the rank of Flotillenadmiral (Commodore). Otto Kretschmer died in hospital in Bavaria in 1998 after an accident while on vacation 1940 - Minesweeping trawlers HMS Balta & Copinsay launched 1940 - Light cruiser USS Montpelier laid down 1940 - Minesweeping trawler HMS Ophelia commissioned 1940 - CIGS telegrams C-in-C Med to make landing craft and ships available for use in Operation Compass if requested 1941 - Destroyer HMCS St Clair completed refit & assigned to EG-14 1941 - Patrol vessel HMCS Elk completed refit & departed for Trinidad 1941 - Tug HMCS Andy assigned to Halifax NS 1941 - Destroyers HMS Musketeer & Blackmore launched 1941 - Destroyer HMS Marne commissioned 1941 - Submarine HMS Turbulent commissioned 1941 - First Naval Armed Guard detachment (7 men under a coxswain) of World War II reports to Liberty ship, SS Dunboyne 1941 - Fourth and last evacuation of Soviet troops from Hanko 1941 - The United States asked Japan for reasons for increasing its forces in Indochina 1941 - The Japanese carrier force "Kido Butai" sailing for the Hawaiian Islands and the target of Pearl Harbor receives a special radio signal - "Climb Mount Niitaka". This is the order to execute the attack on Pearl Harbor 1941 - HMS Prince of Wales & Repulse arrive in Singapore. The capital ships represent a British deterrence in the Far East 1942 - Destroyer HMS Quentin sunk in the Western Mediterranean by a torpedo dropped from the air. HMAS Quiberon picked up survivors 1942 - Frigate HMCS New Glasgow laid down 1942 - Aircraft carrier HMS Pioneer laid down 1942 - At the University of Chicago; the first manmade, self-sustaining atomic chain reaction is achieved. In a squash court under the university football (American) stadium a group of scientists led by the Italian physicist, Enrico Fermi, allowed the "pile" of uranium, insulated by graphite rods, to run for four and a half minutes, which produced just one half-watt of power, but proved man can control atomic power. Scientists waited in awe as the neutron counter clicked faster. Then Fermi raised his hand. "The pile has gone critical," he said. Someone telephoned Dr. James Conant, the head of defense science in Washington. "Jim," he said, "the Italian navigator has just landed in the New World" 1943 - Frigate HMCS Victoriaville laid down Levis PQ 1943 - LCT(5)-242 sunk off Naples 1943 - Submarine USS Capitaine laid down 1943 - Destroyer escorts USS Ulvert M Moore & William Seiverling laid down 1943 - The Canadian-owned, British-manned freighter Fort Athabasca (7,132 GRT), Captain Walter E. Cook, Master, was bombed and sunk during an attack by over 80 Luftwaffe Ju-88 dive-bombers on Bari, Italy. Thirty-six of her 46 crewmembers were lost. The Canadian-owned, British-manned freighter Fort Lajoie was also damaged in this attack when the American Liberty-class freighter John Wheeler exploded. Despite heavy damage and a major fire, only one crewmember was lost. Fort Athabasca was loaded with two captured German glider bombs, which were destined for North Africa, where they were to be examined by Allied intelligence officers. She also carried several hundred bags of mail. The explosion in John Wheeler caused Fort Athabasca to catch fire. When fires reached the glider bombs, an enormous explosion demolished the ship. The cataclysmic destruction of Fort Athabasca, plus one other ammunition ship, resulted in the sinking of 17 of the 37 warships and freighters in Bari. Another six ships were damaged, making this the greatest single loss of shipping suffered by the Allies in a port or roadstead. Cargo losses were approximately 70,000 tons. The number of immediate fatalities was approximately 1,000. Among the 38,000 tons of supplies lost was a top-secret consignment of 2,000 mustard gas shells in the freighter John Harvey. Another 800 people were admitted to hospital, of which 628 suffered from the effects of mustard gas. Fort Athabasca was a North Sands-class cargo ship built by United Shipyards, Ltd., at Montreal PQ. She was completed in Oct 43. Fort Athabasca was one of 63 North Sands-class ships provided to Great Britain under the terms of a Bare Boat Charter. Joseph Robinson & Sons, of North Shields, York, managed the ship for the British government. Four of these ships were lost and another four were damaged (one ship being damaged a second time). One of the damaged ships was beyond economical repair and was declared a Constructive Total Loss. Fort Lajoie was a North Sands-class freighter built by Prince Rupert Drydock and Shipyard, at Prince Rupert BC. She was completed in Jul 42. Fort Lajoie was one of 90 North Sands-class freighters built in Canada for American order under the Hyde Park Declaration and subsequently provided to Great Britain under the Lend-Lease Agreement. Port Line, Ltd., of London, managed the ship for the British government. Twenty-four of these ships were sunk and another twelve were damaged (one ship was damaged a second time). Four of the ships damaged were beyond economical repair and were declared Constructive Total Losses. Two of the other ships damaged were subsequently lost 1944 - Corvette HMCS Lachute departed Halifax, for work ups Bermuda 1944 - Destroyer USS Charles P Cecil laid down 1944 - Destroyer USS Cooper sunk by torpedo fired from destroyer HIJMS Take at Ormoc Bay, in the Philippine Islands with loss of 111 officers and enlisted men out of 359 on-board. USS Cooper, along with Allen M Sumner & Moale entered Ormoc Bay on an anti-shipping sweep designed to disrupt Japanese supplies destined for Ormoc Bay prior to the landing of the US Armies 77th Division on December 6th south of Ormoc city. One Japanese Destroyer (Kuwa), one attack transport vessel, numerous barges and shore facilities damaged and/or destroyed. Additionally 15 Japanese aircraft claimed downed. USS Allen M Sumner suffered 16 WIAs and Moale suffered 2 KIA and 22 WIA 1944 - Coast Guard-manned Army vessel FS-279 was commissioned at New York with LTJG George W. Litchfield, USCGR as commanding officer. She departed New York on 30 December 1944 for the Southwest Pacific where she operated during the war. She was decommissioned 22 October 1945 1946 - Minesweeper HMCS Middlesex, wrecked, while enroute to assist fishing vessel Ohio which was in distress in mountainous seas halfway between Sable Island & the coast of Nova Scotia, after losing her propeller. Although only 6 officers & 41 of her crew aboard, Middlesex sailed at 0535hrs, as the gyrocompass was out of service, the magnetic compass was used. A force 5 northeasterly wind was causing a heavy swell, & visibility was further restricted by fog. At 0720hrs while the CO was in the compass room assessing the state of the gyro compass, the OOW, reported land ahead, & the ship was ordered full-astern. The CO was told that a slight bump had been felt. The CO after checking his bearings & fixing his position resumed the course. A few minutes later land & breakers ahead were again sighted, but before Middlesex could go astern, she grounded & became jammed on the rocks. With the temperature dropping & driving snow the CO ordered non-essential crew to abandon ship. The whaler was lowered but smashed against the ship's side in the heavy swell & was wrecked. Middlesex's position was to the seaward side of Shut In Island, off Laurencetown, some 20 miles east of Halifax, referred to as Half Island Point. With the ship on the rocks & only 20 yards from shore, a Carley float was used to ferry 30 crewmembers to the safety. The remainder stayed on board to receive towlines from tug HMCS Riverton, which arrived at first light. In the meanwhile the RCMP’s French had rescued Ohio. Riverton & others tried for 3 days to pull Middlesex off without success. The remainder of the crew was removed, during the next few weeks armament, stores, & other items were salvaged. On 31 Dec 1946 Middlesex was paid off & declared a constructive total loss 1951 - Soviet submarine 613 (the first of the second generation) was launched. It was the best by its technical parameters at the time (operating at a depth of 200 meters, staying underwater up to 10 days and reaching targets at a distance of almost 9,000 kilometers). Its hull was covered with rubber, which made it almost noiseless. The USSR’s first missile launchings were made from these submarines. They formed the backbone of the Soviet underwater marine forces until the 1970s 1965 - USS Enterprise & Bainbridge become first nuclear-powered task unit used in combat operations with launch of air strikes near Bien Hoa, Vietnam 1968 - Submarine HMCS Rainbow (ex-USS Argonaut) commissioned New London CT. Built by Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth NH. Displacement 1,570/2,414, 311.6x27.3x17ft, 20/10k, crew 8/74, 10-21in TT, (originally 1-5in,) Laid down 28 Jun 44, Launched 1 Oct 44 1972 - USS Ranger port call Subic Bay 1974 - The test exploitation of the Soviet atomic icebreaker Arktika began 1974 - USS Midway port call Hong Kong 1977 - The frigate Herluf Trolle becomes the first Danish ship to perform a planned launch of a Harpoon training missile 1986 - Submarine HMS Upholder launched Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness 1990 - Iraqi Armed Forces conducted activity that included the firing of surface-to-surface missiles within Iraq; missiles landed in Iraq. The flight path was away from US and coalition forces. In Operation Sharp Edge, USS Nashville relieves USS Whidbey Island and Newport off Monrovia 1995 - Frigate HMCS Calgary responded to assist Greek bulk carrier Mount Olympus, some 900k distant, when 80k away Sea King was launched, 30 people removed during 4 trips, & taken to Bulgarian freighter Rodopi 1998 - MCDV HMCS Yellowknife damaged in collision with HMCS Chaleur 2000 - Submarine HMCS Victoria commissioned Halifax NS 2003 - Destroyer USS Elliot decommissioned. Last San Diego-based Spruance-class destroyer 2003 - USCGC Chinook runs aground after breaking free from moorings at Coddington Cove RI 2003 - USCGC Hawk launched Bollinger Shipyard Lockport LA 2003 - Aircraft carrier USS Constellation stricken 2005 - Northrop Grumman Corporation successfully conducted a critical design review of its MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the US Navy. The review moves the program closer to full-scale production and delivery of the vertical takeoff and landing UAV to the Navy 2006 - Grandeur of the Seas makes her much anticipated return to New Orleans, where she will resume seven-night sailings to Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Costa Maya, Mexico, before closing out the season on April 28, 2007 2005 - The Navy announced USS Freedom, the first littoral combat ship of the LCS 1-class, will be homeported at Naval Station San Diego. USS Freedom is expected to be delivered to the Navy in December 2006 and arrive in San Diego in early 2007 2005 - The Navy announced USS George Washington will replace USS Kitty Hawk as the forward deployed aircraft carrier in the western Pacific and will arrive in Yokosuka, Japan, in 2008. USS George Washington is currently homeported in Norfolk, Va., and is receiving necessary maintenance and upgrades at Northrop Grumman Newport News Shipbuilding to facilitate this forward deployment. The forward deployment of USS George Washington will not necessitate a change in the assigned air wing in Japan, nor in the composition of the air wing. Carrier Air Wing Five will remain the forward-deployed air wing 2005 - Despite the significant impact of Hurricane Katrina, Rolls-Royce has delivered the first of four propellers for USS George H. W. Bush, the nation’s newest and most advanced nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The 60,000-lb bronze propellers, 21 ft in diameter delivering in excess of 70,000 horsepower, are the largest ever machined by Rolls-Royce. The first of the four was cast and finished at the Rolls-Royce foundry in Pascagoula, Mississippi and transported overland to Northrop Grumman’s Newport News Shipyard in Virginia 2005 - Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc. announced the appointment of Captain John L. Grenier, US Coast Guard (Ret.), 52, as Vice President Compliance Operations. In this newly created role, he will be responsible for auditing all operational practices and procedures of the Company's fleet and shoreside technical operations. He will also review OSG's training programs, ensuring that they meet the rigorous international standards and supplementary training required by the Company. Captain Grenier will report directly to Morten Arntzen, President and CEO. Captain Grenier has thirty years of leadership experience in the US Coast Guard, including regulatory enforcement, environmental prevention and response, emergency management, strategic planning and personnel training. He served as Captain of the Port of Boston with responsibility for port safety and security including shipping of liquefied natural gas. His last posting in the Coast Guard was as Chief of Staff, First Coast Guard District. He has conducted merchant vessel inspections for compliance with US and international regulations, including auditing vessel emergency readiness and drills. He has significant experience in strategic planning and disaster preparedness. Captain Grenier earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Ocean Engineering from the US Coast Guard Academy and a Master of Science in Engineering degree in Naval Architecture/Marine Engineering from the University of Michigan 2005 - Golar LNG has secured five-year time "charters on three liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers from Shell, the John Fredriksen company has disclosed. Shell Tankers (UK) will charter the 2004 built Golar Viking and the newbuildings Golar Asia and Daewoo hull 2234, which will be delivered in 2006. Shell International Trading and Shipping Co (Stasco) will become technical managers of all three vessels. In line with Shell tradition, the ships will be renamed after sea shells: Gracilis, Grandis and Granosa 2005 - Exxon Mobil Corporation announced that its US marine transportation affiliate, SeaRiver Maritime, Inc., has been recognized by the Washington State Department of Ecology for excellence in marine safety and environmental stewardship. SeaRiver achieved this through meeting the state's voluntary Exceptional Compliance Program for Tank Vessels (Ecopro) and is the only company to attain full Ecopro status for a third consecutive renewal period since the program's inception in 1999 2005 - USS John L Hall and Stephen W Groves shifted homeport to Mayport from Pascagoula 2005 - On behalf of the Sea Launch team, Jim Maser, president of the Sea Launch Company, accepted the 2005 California Space Authority (CSA) SpotBeam Award for International Space. The award was presented at a dinner in Los Angeles, following a two-day CSA conference. With 17 successful missions since operations began in 1999, Sea Launch was cited as “a fantastic example of a successful international partnership.” The CSA SpotBeam Award program recognizes California space stakeholders who make extraordinary contributions to California’s leadership in the United States and international space arenas 2006 - Air Marshal Packiam Paul Rajkumar AVSM takes over as Commander-in-Chief of Andaman Nicober Command; relieving Vice Admiral AK Singh 2006 - A 15,000-ton cargo ship reportedly sank while trying to berth in the Huangpu River near Nanpu Bridge in Shanghai 2006 - USS Toledo arrived at Northrop Grumman Corporation for depot modernization period Copyright 2008 Shirlaw News Group ISSN 1710-6966 Today in History Archives This information is licensed to the recipient only. Images may be subject to copyright. Ask before you right-click. Royal Navy photos are Courtesy of www.oldships.org.uk unless otherwise indicated. To contact us: 418-145 West Keith Rd North Vancouver BC V7M 1L3 Canada Phone: 778-338-4073 Fax: 778-338-4074 Read our Maritime Mishap Blog Manage your subscription